I Found the Lost World of Sahara Desert

Hello! Today we continue our expedition to the Sahara Desert. After long days on the road, we will finally reach one of Chad's most impressive places, the Enedi Plateau. Giant arches, canyons, hidden oases, and landscapes that look like they belong to another planet await us. This is one of the most remote and mysterious places in the entire Sahara. Look at how many hornet nests are here. I saw hornets flying around that were so large and black. It would probably really hurt if they bit you. There are just continuous hornet nests everywhere. Get ready! Today, a real desert is waiting. Good morning! We woke up, ate, and now we are cleaning up our camp and will soon head deeper into the Enedi Plateau. We are going to look at some very beautiful stone rock formations. In the morning, a few local children, Bedouins, or even wild donkeys visit our camp. They wait around. Sometimes the children also collect empty bottles because they are really useful to their tribe. They use them to store milk. Camels are blocking the path of our SUVs because a young herder is driving them toward a nearby watering hole so they can finally get something to drink. There's a lot of camels there. They form very big herds, some numbering in the hundreds. After a long journey across Chad, after many days of dusty roads, heat, and endless desert horizons, I am finally approaching the place I have been looking forward to the most, the legendary Enedi Plateau. And the first views truly look incredible. After spending so much time among sand, a completely different world opens up before my eyes. Look at the incredible beauty I am walking in. The watering hole in the It is a true oasis. The animals are so happy to reach water, splashing around and drinking. It is a truly magical and impressive place. Of course, there are never any tourists here, only the locals coming here to water their livestock. This is like a wonderful, stunningly beautiful natural park, a true creation of God. Just look at those massive tree roots, hear the birds chirping, and watch that herd of camels. I will give way to them. Everyone around here is staring at my bright t-shirt. It's really impressive. It is strange to realize that such a beautiful and lively place can exist right in the middle of the Sahara. Water bodies hidden among giant rocks are completely surrounded by lush palms and greenery. The water here feels like a miracle. Birds chirping all around, and after days of silence, that sound feels surreal. In places, it feels like you are deep in the lush tropics rather than a dry desert. In the morning, local herders arrive with camel herds to drink, and their reflections move slowly across the calm water. Some herders travel here from very far away. Water in the Eniti region is one of the greatest treasures. This whole place feels like a hidden oasis known only to the people of the desert. Giant cliffs cast shadows on the water while palms sway in the breeze, with only nature and quiet camel noises all around. After driving so long through the unforgiving Sahara desert, this place feels like a true reward for the difficult journey. Not only camels and goats come to drink at this oasis, but also donkeys. At first glance, this place looks very peaceful with its water, palms. However, the nature of Eniti has a darker side, as predators like baboons also come down here. They live in the surrounding rocks in large troops. At first, they just look like curious animals, but they can actually be very aggressive, especially when searching for food or water. Locals say that baboons sometimes attack donkeys or weaker animals, especially if they separate from the herd. The whole troop suddenly starts chasing the victim, and small animals often stand no chance of escaping among the steep rocks. That is why herders here always stay alert. Sometimes even children are not allowed to walk alone far around the oasis, because an aggressive group of baboons can attack a human, especially a small isolated child. Therefore, even this beautiful place in the middle of the Sahara has its own hidden dangers. Children here walk in groups for safety. They watch over each other, cross the desert, and work together. Even from a young age, everyone has responsibilities. Usually their job is to fetch water. Almost every day they travel with donkeys to the oasis, fill containers, and then finally return to the villages under the scorching Sahara sun. Sometimes they have to repeat this trip several times a day. Children start working at a very early age. Some, being just five or six years old, already look after smaller goats or sheep, later moving on to herd larger flocks. There are almost no schools in most of these places, so children get all their life knowledge from parents and siblings. They learn how to find water, recognize desert paths, look after livestock, and survive in this unforgiving environment. Today, I am traveling through the sands, heading deeper into the plateau rocks. It is very hot with a lot of sand. You can see people driving their camels to waterholes. We'll see. It should be incredibly beautiful, interesting, and exotic. Today, I plan to visit even more impressive places on the Enedi Plateau, and there are plenty here. Some of the arches in this region are so huge that several trucks could pass under them. They have been shaped by wind, sand, and rare rains for thousands of years. Just listen to how incredible the echo is in this place. Nature worked here slowly, but created something completely incredible. The Enedi Plateau is one of the remotest places in all of Africa. The nearest larger cities are hundreds of kilometers away, and there are almost no roads, gas stations, or normal settlements around. There is no connection anywhere, and if the car breaks down, you might have to wait for days. That's precisely why this place has long been almost inaccessible to tourists, and even now, very few people come here. I am in the plateau. It is very hot, but just look at these amazing formations. The five arches rock. Sometimes locals pass by. Where they actually come from, I have no idea, because it feels like there isn't a single soul around for miles. Most people in the world have never heard of Enedi, even though the landscape here looks like it is from another planet. Driving through these deserts, I sometimes feel a complete sense of isolation from the world. No city noise, no civilization, just stone, sand, wind, and vast open spaces. The deeper you drive into Enedi, the more the earth feels wild and almost untouched by humans. It's my lunch break. Want to see what everything looks like on the inside during the trip? Not just the beautiful views, but how everything looks in practice. Since it is incredibly hot outside, we stopped our SUV in the shade, under a beautiful arch. There are actually quite a few of them on this plateau. The driver is already lying down, resting. Another Chadian is responsible for the food. He is making a salad. We mostly eat tomatoes with cucumbers and cabbage. A refreshing salad. Believe me, you don't want anything else because the day is so hot. No meat, as it probably wouldn't even digest, and bringing meat here is also difficult, because there are no fridges or electricity, so it would spoil quickly. We even have a small blanket laid out for us. We will all rest here, have a little afternoon fiesta, and take a quick nap, while the Chadian guides even take a moment to pray after every meal. People rarely live on the Enedi plateau, but as soon as an SUV appears in the distance, the locals notice it immediately. Women are the first to approach. They bring along various handicrafts made from plants found in the desert, unique jewelry, items made from colored candy wrappers, knives or tools, and other small trinkets. Even in the remote desert, people manage to track down tourists and bring along unique souvenirs like this one, crafted from those little desert gourds. It looks just like a small vase, or some kind of handcrafted pencil holder. And right here is a piece of jewelry made out of candy wrappers. Well, they really do make jewelry out of absolutely everything. In the desert, the wind constantly changes, and sometimes sandstorms unexpectedly kick up. Today, one of them crossed my path. At first, you only see a spinning column of sand on the horizon, but as it approaches, the air becomes heavy, your eyes fill with dust, and visibility almost disappears. At moments like this, people and animals often hide among the rocks, as stone walls become the only protection against the sand. Driving across the plateau, we are finally descending toward the town in this region. We plan to top up not only on fuel, but also on all other essential resources, because in the desert, there will be nothing. This is the very last town with a market, before we head out toward the great, beautiful part of the desert. Well, it is very littered, with a lot of plastic scattered everywhere. Look how dirty and messy it looks. Of course, nobody collects this trash here. Right now, we are in the mechanics and garage section. We will fill up on fuel, do a few quick repairs on the SUV, and then we'll be heading further out. Well, look at how the locals arrive at the little shop, park their donkey bins, and go inside to shop. At the entrance, there is a livestock market. They mostly sell goats, occasionally some sheep or a few camels. Everything happens on the sand, without any infrastructure, in the open sun. Well, the market looks rather poor and run down. Donkeys are grazing right next to the market, straight up eating trash. Nearby, you can also find goods brought in by trucks that travel here for days on end from cities. Pasta, water, fuel, basic household items. Everything is brought here with tremendous effort, so the prices are already significantly higher than in the capital. At first glance, the market may seem dirty and chaotic, but here we can find absolutely everything we need to survive out there in the desert. I think they sell pretty much everything that is grown locally in this market. Cucumbers, tomatoes, onions. Probably not much else grows in this tough soil. Oh, and look here, freshly baked bread. And it turns out it's mango season right now. We even found some beautiful, bright yellow, and perfectly ripe mangoes available here at the market. It will probably be a real pleasure for me to eat these in the desert. Here carved into the rocks are petroglyphs. Let's go and take a look. These ancient petroglyphs are actually estimated to be about 3,000 years old. On the Ennedi Plateau, among giant sandstone rocks and canyons, lies one of the region's most spectacular secrets, caves filled with ancient rock art. These are places where the walls seem to speak of a completely different Saharan history. In these caves, the locals used to build fires, as you can see the soot-covered ceilings, and there are carved out holes. There are lots of petroglyphs here, and they could also observe the surroundings because the caves are high up in the mountain. It's also very beautiful. Images thousands of years old remain on the rocks. People, cattle, and hunting scenes. This is a contrast, as today there is only desert around us. Scientists say that thousands of years ago, the Sahara was different. Rivers flowed here, lush forests grew, and ancient animals roamed about. Those ancient drawings serve as a window into a time when this entire region was green and full of life. Some caves can only be reached on foot. Sometimes, you even have to climb the rocks. Inside, there is a cool breeze and absolute silence, and the marks left by humans on the stones look like history frozen in time. It's so hot out here. A herd of donkeys just bolted, completely startled by me as I was walking through. You have to carefully crouch and pass through these low tunnels and small cramped caves, and here it reveals the great main rock drawing. It will be easier to see from this angle. It's a drawing of a bull. And another thing you notice right away here. The cave ceilings are often dotted with wild hornet nests. They look menacing because these are very aggressive insects, and their stings can be extremely dangerous. The locals say that a person who is heavily stung, especially if they are allergic, might not even survive. So people behave very carefully and without any noise near these caves. As I'm making my way deeper into these caves, just look at how many hornet nests are hanging above. The entire ceiling is completely plastered from side to side. I can see these big black hornets flying around right now. It would definitely hurt incredibly bad if they swarmed and stung you. It is just a continuous wall of hornet nests one after another. It's no joke diving into caves when there are so many massive hornets around. Interesting trees grow in the desert. They are bright green, beautiful, and nothing eats them. By the way, they also have blossoms. It looks quite interesting. And at the same time, they even produce fruit. Take a look, just like these ones right here. It's a really interesting feeling touching them. They feel like some kind of melons. The most civilized point in the entire desert is definitely the water troughs. Little donkeys are drinking here, while right over here, people are busy washing their carpets. Take a guess at how much a carpet costs out here in the desert. In reality, it all depends on the quality, but often a single carpet can cost as much as several camels, meaning only wealthier families with big herds or traders can afford one. A carpet here is not a decoration. It is a status symbol and a family heirloom that sometimes stays in the family for decades. Desert civilization. This is what a completely unknown tiny village looks like out here. The guys have a carpet out and are praying. It is practically impossible to stay out here in the baking sun. There's really nothing else around. Let's head inside and check out the little shop. Well, this is exactly what a small local shop looks like. All the products here basically have an endless shelf life and don't spoil. They also have some sort of a solar-powered fridge, which is pretty impressive. They also sell locally made pop-cola here for one dollar. I ended up buying one and it is really nice and cool. It's so nice to cool down, so refreshing. There are only a few villages on the Entity Plateau. Most of this place is the completely wild. Deserts, stone formations, absolute silence all around, and not a single sign of civilization. Only wind and stone. The rocks rise up suddenly here, like giants from the depths of the earth, while wide valleys and passes open up between them. This entire place feels alien and ancient. Behind me, in that cave right there, you can see ancient paintings again, so I'll try to go through here, squeeze through the tunnels, and we'll see what it's like inside. I hope there won't be so many hornet nests on the ceiling this time, because it was really scary in there. Such a narrow rock, it looks spectacular. This is exactly how the locals used to defend themselves from danger. Nobody can squeeze through here, and from here, you can easily observe the outside. Let's go! Well, here is yet another cave featuring ancient rock drawings that date back 3,000 years. Honestly, it's a really incredible feeling to stand inside a cave like this, knowing that thousands of years before Christ, ancient people actually lived right here, painted on these walls, ate their meals, and slept. It's really impressive here. Take a look at this drawing, which actually sparks a lot of debate among archaeologists. You can see it looks a bit like an alien with antennae, or whiskers on its head, leaving it completely unclear what it's meant to be. So that's probably exactly when the discussions started suggesting that aliens had already appeared in ancient times. I'm walking through a labyrinth between the rocks. Here is such a beautiful, I'd say even oasis-like place. Very beautiful rock formations. I'm glad there's shade, because it would be impossible to walk here otherwise. I'm walking through the Entity Stone Forest, and it's still so hard to believe that an entirely different world like this can be hidden deep within the African Sahara. Giant rocks rise like towers with narrow paths, shadows and silence between them. Now there is sand, and stone here, but thousands of years ago this region was different. During the so-called Green Sahara period, there was more rain, lakes, and rivers here. People lived in here, hunted, fished, and herded livestock. Drawings still remain on the rocks to this day. Giraffes, elephants, cattle, scenes of life, like frozen history from another world. It looks like a truly magical place for a walk, a completely natural park created by nature itself. Birds are chirping. I'm speechless, you know, seeing what kind of incredible things exist here in Chad. To me, it looks very much like a stone forest with plenty of narrow gorges, where it is already getting quite dark and cool. There must be all kinds of creatures living there too. The locals call this place a labyrinth. Honestly, as you walk through it, you could easily get lost. Our campsite for today looks like this, with absolutely gorgeous views looking down from the mountain, and on that side over there, it's also completely surrounded by mountains everywhere you look. I'll show you how everything looks here in our camp, how the expedition is going, and what we've brought along with us. The sleeping mats, thanks to which it's not only comfortable to sleep, but the ground heated up throughout the day, doesn't bake your back. Because I've slept in Ethiopia on my inflatable mattress, and it's so hot, like sleeping in a sauna, it heats your back so much that I was sweating. And here is a sleeping mat and a folding bed. Guess who brought it here? Not me, the driver. As soon as he finishes driving and stops, he immediately plops right onto his little bed. Well, it's actually really good because being elevated higher off the ground stops scorpions from crawling under your butt, since I think the other people who are taking care of me are sleeping right on the ground. So there really is a bit of danger that a snake might crawl by, or scorpions, or things of that nature. So we're cooking on a gas stove. We've also got extra petrol cans and a whole watermelon that I'm about to slice up and taste right now. We fill up on water at the local watering stations, but we don't actually drink the pumped water. We stick to drinking our own bottled water that we brought along. We use this pumped water for washing up and cooking. Moving further along, we have eggs, vegetables, oils, and various spices. There's no meat at all, because you can imagine how fast that meat would probably spoil when it's constantly this hot out here. Well, and that's about it. The tents are thin with mesh nets, because at night it gets both hot and cold. Usually it cools down, but right now they report 40 degrees, or 104 Fahrenheit. And in the sun it's 50 degrees, or 122 Fahrenheit, so the ground gets incredibly hot. It's really warm when you sleep at night. Well, that's about it. Now I'm going to go for a little walk before it gets dark, because it's so beautiful and cool out. Much cooler than during the day. It's really nice. Then we'll go eat and see what the guys cooked up for us. We are expecting a traditional goat for dinner. I bragged about going vegetarian for a week, but the guys didn't even ask. They just went out and bought a whole goat. They said a prayer before slaughtering it, and now they are butchering it. They paid about 35 or 40 dollars for the goat. Today is a bit of a non-standard evening in the camp. They are butchering the goat under the trees. Naturally, one of the workers is busy cooking, while the driver, having done all the driving, is mostly resting on his little bed. He just parks the car and sleeps. He drives for a long time during the day, anywhere from eight to ten hours. Now we are going to try tonight's special dish. It's a sum stew made with fresh goat meat. Let's try. It looks pretty good. The goat meat is very delicious, tender, and juicy. The day is ending. I'm having my dinner now and saying goodbye to you all. Next time we'll meet again in the final and probably most interesting part of this expedition. Don't forget to subscribe to the channel and make sure to hit that like button. See you in the next one!